Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes Lando Norris is rewriting his narrative, proving he no longer deserves to be considered ‘not tough enough’ to fight for the world title.
The McLaren star, who is locked in a thrilling championship duel with teammate Oscar Piastri, has long faced whispers of lacking the killer instinct needed to dominate.
But Herbert points to Norris’ audacious overtake at the Singapore Grand Prix as proof he’s got the grit to go wheel-to-wheel with the best, even if it’s his own teammate.
The Briton’s bold move in Marina Bay earned him a third-place finish behind race winner George Russell and fellow title contender Max Verstappen, which narrowed his gap to Piastri in the standings to 22 points with six races to go.
Norris Shows His Grit
“To win and to get yourself in a situation to win a championship sometimes you’ve got to be tough,” Herbert told Betting Lounge.
“Lando has been criticised in the past of maybe not being tough enough. That was a good piece of racing.
“To be honest, the guy that put himself in that position was Piastri himself, because he got close to Max which ran him a little bit wide, and he lost a bit of momentum, which allowed Lando to go down the inside but then round the outside and on the inside of turn three.”
The move was a masterclass in aggression, the kind of racing that gets pulses racing and silences doubters.
“Okay they touched, he had a little bit of a wiggle; he touched Max as well. But that’s what it’s all about, that’s what I want to see, and I think that’s what the fans want to see,” added Herbert.
“That’s exactly what I would expect a racing driver of the calibre of Oscar and Lando and Max to do. But for him to come over to the radio and say, well, that’s not a team thing, and basically give me the place back, was bizarre.
“They’re using the papaya rules to try and benefit themselves. I’m really glad the stewards didn’t get involved, and the team didn’t get involved. It was right for Lando and wrong for Piastri to be so uptight about it in the moment and then annoyed with the situation later on.”
Momentum Shifting in Norris’ Favor
Herbert highlighted that Norris has now beaten Piastri in three of the last four weekends, including Monza and Singapore, and sees the chaser role as a psychological advantage in the title fight.
“Lando is the chaser and it’s much easier being a chaser than someone who’s trying to hang on. That side’s going to be challenging,” said the three-time Grand Prix winner.
“You do feel he has raised his game. It is shifting that way. Lando seems to have developed that little bit extra compared to Oscar.”
With momentum swinging and Norris showing newfound toughness, Herbert believes the championship battle has entered a thrilling new chapter – and that the young Brit has finally shed the doubts about his resilience on track.
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